January is off to a slow start, but busier days are coming. Hang out with the Columbus County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, sign your youngster up for spring soccer, visit a food bank, or volunteer for community charities. Check out all the events going on around you each week in The Good News.
Some organizations are already planning spring gatherings and celebrations. If your church, civic group, or association has markets, plays, fundraisers, or events that you want published in The Good News, or if you want your church’s weekly services to be added to our Community Church Listings, send your submissions to crystalfaircloth@columbuscountynews.com or ccn.cfaircloth@gmail.com. We will get them out there for absolutely free.
Columbus County News has an exciting announcement. In case you missed it, we have changed owners and locations. Managing Editor Jefferson Weaver is now the editor and publisher of CCN, and we are at our new office located at 125 Suite 3, East Main Street in Whiteville. Be sure to drop by and say hello.
We will be reintroducing all of our readers to the team throughout the month of January on the Columbus County News Facebook page.
Doc’s Coffee is back at the Anchor Camp in Lake Waccamaw. You can grab coffee and a pastry for breakfast every Monday through Wednesday from 7-10 a.m. The camp is located at 112 Lake Shore Drive.
Speaking of the Anchorage Camp, if you didn’t get enough of ice skating in Tabor City over the holiday season, you can put on your roller skates and take advantage of the camp’s Skate Nights every Saturday evening beginning Jan. 17.
Doors open from 7-9:30 p.m., and admission is $12 per person. Children 3 and under get in free, and there is no admission fee for adults with one paying child. For more information, call 910.646.4111.
Columbus County Parks and Recreation’s Youth Spring Soccer program is now open for registration. The co-ed event is open to boys and girls ages 10-15 years old and is a great way for youth to participate in a competitive and fun soccer league.
The cost is $40 and covers a jersey, shorts, and socks, and the season will run from April 11-May 16. Games will be played in Whiteville on Saturdays. Volunteers and coaches are needed, and both kids and coaches can sign up by visiting https://parksrec.egov.basgov.com/columbusconc/Search?TagId=654.
Lebanon Masonic Lodge #207 will be partnering with the America Red Cross on Friday, Jan. 9, for a community blood drive. The event will be held at the Columbus County Shrine Club multipurpose room from 1-5 p.m. Those who give will receive a free long-sleeved Red Cross t-shirt.
For an appointment, please visit www.RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code ‘LebanonLodge207’ or call 1.800.733.2767. The Shrine Club is located at 737 Sam Potts Highway in Whiteville.
Registration for the Gator Fest 5K is now being accepted with discounted fees through Jan. 9. The cost for the 5K is $26. Race day is Saturday, April 25, with t-shirt and packet pick up from 6:45-7:45 a.m., line up at 7:45 a.m., and the 5K will begin at 8 a.m. The one-mile Fun Run will begin promptly at 8:05 a.m.
All registration is required online. Those interested in participating can do so by visiting https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/LakeWaccamaw/GatorFestivalK.
Things can be a little rough after the holidays, but the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina has you covered. The organization will have a pop-up market on Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Jerusalem Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Chadbourn.
There are no income, residency, or ID requirements to receive assistance, and everyone is welcome. The church’s address is 6224 Chadbourn Highway
If you miss the pop-up market, St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church in the Freeman Community will have their food bank open every Thursday beginning at 11 a.m. The church is located at 507 Moneyhole Road in Bolton.
The next meeting of the East Columbus Education Foundation’s Swamp Keepers will be on Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. in the East Columbus Media Center. Come learn about what’s happening, share ideas, and get involved in supporting the school community. ECJSHS can be found at 32 Gator Lane in Lake Waccamaw.
The Columbus County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism will be having their 2026 Annual Meeting and Mingle on Jan. 29 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for members and $50 for non-members, and the event will be held at the Vineland Station Depot.
You can register and pay online at www.thecolumbuschamber.com or call 910.642.3171. Vineland is located at 701 South Madison Street in Whiteville.
The sixteenth annual Southern Farm Days will be back March 20-22 at the Boys and Girls Home of NC Horse Complex. Columbus County News will be live during the event, and we would love to spotlight your small business.
If you are interested in sponsoring a live stream or are a vendor who would like to be featured during Farm Days, message us via the CCN Facebook page. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Mariah McDonald and her family have added two blessing boxes in the Riegelwood community, but they don’t want their charity to end there. For Valentine’s Day, they have decided to donate some much-needed care packages to local nursing homes and memory care facilities.
They are currently taking donations of adult pajama sets sizes XS-XL, crossword and puzzle books, body wash, shampoo, toothpaste, denture care products, deodorant, shaving essentials, and sweet treats. Those interested in helping out can message Mariah McDonald via Facebook.
Remember to check out our Good News tab throughout the week. We love to hear about all the great things happening around you. Email your submissions to ccn.cfaircloth@gmail.com , write to us at CCN, P.O. Box 128, Whiteville, N.C. 28472, or visit us at our new location at 125 Suite 3, East Main Street in Whiteville. We love visitors. If the door is unlocked, we are open for business.
